Players Can Also Look Forward to New Content, Including Eight New Dungeons, a New Hub World, and More

Karlsruhe, Germany (June 18, 2024) – Gameforge, an international publisher of popular MMORPGs, is delighted to introduce a brand-new character, Lithia, to the popular free-to-play MMORPG Elsword EU. Get ready to embark on an epic adventure with Lithia as she brings her unique skills and captivating story to the vibrant world of Elsword, with the upcoming updates promising to add a whole host of additional content, including new zones and dungeons to the side-scrolling, all-action multiplayer game.

Watch the Elsword Lithia Announcement Trailer:

Meet Lithia:

Lithia is a free-spirited magician and treasure hunter commissioned by the Biological Resources Society to explore the recently restored capital of the Ancient Kingdom, Elyanod. As she embarks on this perilous journey, Lithia reunites with her childhood friend Marty, only to encounter a mysterious curse that changes the course of her quest forever.

Lithia’s unique background and gameplay mechanics set her apart from other characters in Elsword. As the adoptive daughter of Felix and Joy, she learned the secrets of demon magic and honed her skills as an earth element mage. Her abilities are reflected in her names, which are references to gemstones and minerals, tying back to her origins and upbringing.

In battle, Lithia utilizes a secondary resource gauge to harness the power of gemstones, enhancing the effects of her skills. Additionally, she possesses a unique skill that allows her to perform special maneuvers with her sling, adding an extra layer of strategy to her combat style. 

With intricately woven story quests and unique dungeons offering a challenging experience, Lithia’s journey is one players won’t want to miss in the world of Elsword EU.

Explore New Content:

With Lithia’s arrival comes a host of exciting new features and content updates:

• Beyond the Rift: Explore the exclusive village of “Beyond the Rift,” a hub tailored specifically for Lithia’s adventures. Uncover hidden memories and pieces of Lithia’s backstory as you progress through the game. 
• Exclusive Dungeons: Dive into eight new dungeons accessible only to Lithia, each offering unique challenges and rewards. 
• Event Dungeons: Join Lithia in special event dungeons like the Belder Academy Library, Belder Academy Sports Festival, and more. Please note that some event dungeons are exclusive to Lithia. 
• Quality of Life Improvements: Experience smoother gameplay with a range of quality-of-life changes designed to enhance the Elsword experience

Join the Adventure:

Elsword is available for free on Windows PC via Steam and the official website.

About Elsword EU

The MMO Elsword impresses with a unique mix of 2D side-scroller and anime-style role-playing gameplay. These two gameplay traditions combine to create a unique, dynamic gaming experience.
 
The captivating story revolves around the mythical Eldrit Stone, from which the continent of Elios draws its energies. Eight masters protect it; this mineral even gives creatures, such as the machine-like Nasod, their life force. When the stone shatters one day, its fragments spread throughout the world. Now it is in the player’s hands to unite the stone and ensure the continued existence of Elios. 

With more than 35 dungeons, the player fights their way through an exciting world full of action, magic, and adventure in this exciting free-to-play title developed by the South Korean company KOG Studios and published throughout Europe by Gameforge.

About Gameforge

Founded in 2003, Gameforge is a leading Western publisher and operator of widely acclaimed Massively Multiplayer Online (MMO) and browser-based game titles. Gameforge builds highly active and enduring global communities by supporting players through the greatest quality LiveOps, provision of localized content, engaging community management, and frequent delivery of meaningful updates. 

Gameforge’s diverse portfolio of highly successful gaming brands provides different worlds with engaging experiences for players from all walks of life: core MMORPG titles AION Classic, Runes of Magic, and Metin2, beloved anime MMOs Elsword and NosTale, strategy-focused browser games like OGame and Ikariam, along with indie titles such as Trigon: Space Story and Tiny Thor. 

Expansive Worlds’ open-world fishing game Call of the Wild: The Angler also receives a new DLC & content update today

STOCKHOLM – June 18, 2024 – Expansive Worlds, a creative division within Avalanche Studios Group, is excited today to release theHunter: Call of the Wild’s newest DLC, the “Sundarpatan Nepal Hunting Reserve,” on PlayStation, Xbox, and PC via Steam, the Epic Games Store and Microsoft Store. Available for $11.99/€11.79, with an additional 20% discount offered across all storefronts through June 24, this new location adds three sprawling regions to the acclaimed immersive hunting game set across the stunning lands of Nepal.

Welcome to the Sundarpatan Nepal Hunting Reserve, where beauty and exploration go hand in hand. Discover a variety of breathtaking environments, from snowy mountains to dense forests and lush tropical lowlands, in pursuit of 13 wildlife species. Take on a variety of unique challenges with a new weapon at your disposal – the 19th century-era Gandhare Rifle – while exploring the natural and cultural richness of Nepal’s lands and people.

Key Features

• Elevate Your Hunting Game: Discover 13 animal species, including 10 new species unique to this area. You’ll need to be on high alert as you come face to face with the territorial Bengal Tiger, the rare and impressive Barasingha, the elusive Snow Leopard, and the Large Tahr – known in these parts simply as the “Great One.” 
• Push Your Boundaries: Hunt at altitude on snow-covered open ridges in the mountains, explore iconic rhododendron forests, and brave overgrown sal forests in the tropical lowlands. Diversity is all around you in Sundarpatan, and the sheer scale of this location will challenge even the most experienced hunters. 
• Embark on a Journey of Cultural Exploration and Education: Uncover the natural and cultural richness of Nepal. Showcase your hunting expertise with local experts and wardens, and complete non-hunting mission objectives such as agriculture, photography and repairs to support and develop the reserve. 
• Hunt with the Historical Gandhare Rifle: Originally a breech-loading firearm in the late 19th century, the Gandhare Rifle is a handcrafted, high-caliber, single-shot rifle. Made in Nepal by the Nepal Army, the weapon is a testament to Nepali innovation in both the military and hunting realms.

A free update is also available today for all players adding two Nepal-inspired cosmetic items: the Sundarpatan Rhododendron Paint and Sundarpatan Flowers Camo! It also includes remasters of the Water Buffalo and Blackbuck models, population resets for a range of species, multiple bug fixes and more! The gameplay experience using the TOBII eye-tracking peripheral has also been significantly improved. For the full update patch notes, click here.

Also available today from Expansive Worlds is a new DLC for the open-world fishing game Call of the Wild: The Angler – the “LakePal Bait Boat Pack”! This new remote-controlled fishing companion is available for $4.99 on PlayStation, Xbox, and PC via Steam, the Epic Games Store and Microsoft Store, and lets you experience unparalleled control with the ability to position your bait with precision. The DLC launches alongside a free update that adds a new fish, the Wels Catfish, and new mechanics like bait throwing and bait catapulting. Check out the new trailer below!

About theHunter: Call of the Wild

theHunter: Call of the Wild offers the most immersive hunting experience ever created. Players can immerse themselves in the atmospheric single-player campaign, or share the ultimate hunting experience with friends. Since its release in 2017, theHunter: Call of the Wild has grown to feature an incredibly diverse animal species roster across twelve unique reserves, and continues to actively engage millions of players. theHunter: Call of the Wild is available for Epic Games Store, Steam, Microsoft Store (including PC Game Pass), Xbox One, Xbox Game Pass, and PlayStation 4. For more information, visit the game’s website.

About Call of the Wild: The Angler

Experience the freedom of fishing in a vast open world in Call of the Wild: The Angler. Explore the great outdoors by boat, off-road vehicle, or on foot, solo or in online co-op multiplayer for up to 12 players. Battle a variety of unique species in an authentic and engaging fishing experience, with multiple rods, reels, lures, hooks, floats, and jig heads at your disposal. Call of the Wild: The Angler is available on PlayStation, Xbox, and PC via Steam, the Epic Games Store and Microsoft Store.

About Expansive Worlds

Expansive Worlds is a creative division within Avalanche Studios Group and a leading developer and publisher of outdoor games. Since 2007, Expansive Worlds has been devoted to delivering highly immersive outdoor gaming experiences for millions of players. It is best known for the long-standing and successful theHunter franchise, as well as the new fishing game Call of the Wild: The Angler. Expansive Worlds develops games using the proprietary Apex engine, enabling vast open worlds with endless creative possibilities. Learn more at www.avalanchestudios.com/divisions/expansive-worlds.

About Avalanche Studios Group

Avalanche Studios Group is a leading interactive entertainment company offering a wide range of games and live services from creative divisions Avalanche Studios, Expansive Worlds, and Systemic Reaction. Its portfolio includes the Just Cause franchise, theHunter: Call of the Wild, Generation Zero, Rage 2, Call of the Wild: The Angler, and the upcoming Contraband. Founded in 2003, Avalanche Studios Group draws from nearly two decades of open-world experience. All its games are developed using the proprietary Apex engine, enabling vast and dynamic worlds, full of emergent gameplay and endless creative possibilities. Learn more at www.avalanchestudios.com.

Set out on a roguelike adventure alone or with friends as Lost Castle 2 opens into Steam Early Access next month

June 18, 2024 – Hunter Studio is thrilled to announce that Lost Castle 2, the highly-anticipated treasure-hunting sequel to the 2 million+ selling action-roguelike Lost Castle, will launch on Steam Early Access on July 25th.

At the Early Access launch, treasure hunters will be able to journey deep into five mysterious levels, including the Dark Forest, the Crystal Mountain, the Abandoned Village, the Castle Bridge, and the Black Castle.

Discover hundreds of treasures and items to improve your strength and enhance your abilities, with around 180 weapons and approx. 100 armour types with which to showcase your skills. 

Head into battle against the castle’s armies of goblins and mythical creatures, and demonstrate your strength against 11 mighty bosses on your quest for powerful loot. Fight alone or with friends in 2-4 player online co-op, vanquishing foes, and earning rewards to become the best treasure hunter in the land.

Lost Castle 2 features:

• An action-roguelike teeming with tempting treasures – Discover a land hidden by mountains and filled with loot, in an action-packed beat ‘em-up roguelike for 1-4 players.
• Hundreds of weapons and armour to collect – Equip yourself with powerful loot and discover your preferred playstyle, test your combat skills against an army of enemies and powerful bosses. 
• Treasure hunt alone or team up with friends – Take on the Dark Castle as a solo adventurer or join forces with other players in 2-4 player online co-op.

Lost Castle 2 launches on Steam Early Access on July 25, 2024 and can be added to your Steam Wishlist now.

Children are the future in major update to co-op farming and life sim

SAN DIEGO — June 17, 2024 — Roots of Pacha, the co-op farming & life simulation game set in the Stone Age developed by Soda Den, expands its community of more than 200,000 players with its debut on Xbox One and Series X|S consoles alongside the launch of version 1.2 on Steam, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4 & 5 on Wednesday, July 31, 2024 — now with full support for Korean and Traditional Chinese languages.

Version 1.2 dramatically increases the number of options for children, introducing school-age as part of their development alongside the newborn and toddler phases. Enroll the young ones into School where they will bond with others, develop their personalities, and discover the professions they want to pursue. Each child’s combination of parentage, personality, and profession leads to distinct dialog and gifts to earn.

Romance options expand with new dialogue, new Union reception options, and the ability to smooch beloved partners in the Union ceremony. Toggle the new “Available to date” setting to disable dating advances from other people.

Customize Pachans with new skin tones and hair colors. Ride mammoths, spiders, cave lions, and wolves as new mount options. As friendship progresses with pets, they can begin to fetch items from different areas to obtain items like herbs or meat. Utilize the olla, a new watering Idea that can help save time, especially in the early and middle of the game. 

This major update also implements a variety of quality-of-life improvements. Utilize intermediate saves by going to the bed and choosing “Save at current time.” Put multiple items in processors at once by holding the action button, take UI-free screenshots, utilize new sorting methods, and much more.

Those playing Roots of Pacha on Xbox One and Series X|S will enjoy full feature parity and crossplay co-op support with the more than 200,000 Stone Age civilization builders on other platforms. Discover the roots of humanity through new ideas and inventions like animal taming and cold storage, and lead the Pachan clan and their surrounding neighbors together to an age of peaceful prosperity.

“Beyond rebalancing many in-game features, Version 1.2 dramatically expands and improves the game for everyone from our long-time players to our new audience on Xbox,” said Timothy Dadone Nasello, Co-Founder of Soda Den.

Roots of Pacha launches on Xbox One and Series X|S on Wednesday, July 31 for $24.99 / €22.99 / £19.99 with support for English, French, German, Portuguese – Brazil, Russian, Simplified and Traditional Chinese, Spanish, Korean, and Japanese languages. 

The version 1.2 update arrives on Steam, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4 & 5, and Xbox as a free update on the same day, with full feature parity between all versions of Roots of Pacha.

For more information, you can read the latest devlog, follow Roots of Pacha on Twitter and YouTube, join the Discord, and visit the official Roots of Pacha website.

About Soda Den

Soda Den is an independent game studio based out of the US and Argentina. Helmed by two brothers staying connected across continents via video game development, Soda Den’s small team prioritizes co-operative, meaningful play above all, leading to the production of their first game, Roots of Pacha, with over 200k units sold since its 1.0 release with more updates to come.

Players Will Be Able to Download a First-Ever POWER RANGERS Mod to Turn Characters into Original MIGHTY MORPHIN POWER RANGERS

June 17, 2024 – CurseForge, the world’s largest repository of mods and addons for video games, today announced a collaboration with Hasbro, a leading toy and game company, to bring the iconic POWER RANGERS franchise into ARK: Survival Ascended – the critically acclaimed survival game by Studio Wildcard. With more than 190 million mods downloaded on both consoles and PCs to date, ARK: Survival Ascended has harnessed the power of user-generated content (UGC) since its initial launch. Supported by CurseForge, cross-platform modding capabilities were introduced to ARK: Survival Ascended, significantly extending the reach of modders and expanding the diversity of experience for players across platforms.

It is indeed MORPHIN’ TIME with the ARK X POWER RANGERS collab!

Starting June 17, ARK: Survival Ascended players can download ARK x POWER RANGERS on CurseForge. Players will be able to skin their characters as the original MIGHTY MORPHIN POWER RANGERS and equip their weapons and Zords. In order to ensure brand integrity, CurseForge, which has over 50 billion mod downloads, teamed up with Look North World, a pioneering UGC video game studio and publisher, to develop the ARK x POWER RANGERS Premium Mod.

“We are thrilled to team up with Hasbro to bring the first-ever POWER RANGERS mod to ARK: Survival Ascended. This collaboration enables individual creators to directly engage with iconic franchises like never before, unlocking incredible potential for brand reach and engagement. We look forward to seeing how this mod will engage gamers, elevate the POWER RANGERS brand within the gaming community, and signal to other brands that UGC in games is the path forward,” commented Uri Marchand, CEO of Overwolf.

“The modding community is massive and working with CurseForge to bring POWER RANGERS to the primeval world of ARK: Survival Ascended showcases our commitment to bring our iconic brands to life for gamers wherever they are,” said Eugene Evans, SVP Digital Strategy and Licensing at Wizards of the Coast and Hasbro. “Working with creative teams from all over the world, and deepening partnerships with publishers like Look North World, remains a key strategy for us as we continue to grow our digital games portfolio through licensing and internal development.”

To view the 1,500+ mods available for ARK: Survival Ascended, including the POWER RANGERS Mod, visit CurseForge. CurseForge supports mods across multiple AAA titles, including Minecraft, World of Warcraft, and Palworld.

###

About CurseForge

CurseForge, a division of Overwolf, is the world’s largest repository of mods and addons for video games. CurseForge enables mod authors and gamers to discover, share, and safely and seamlessly enhance their gaming experience. With over 50B mod downloads, CurseForge supports mods across multiple AAA titles, including Minecraft, World of Warcraft, and Palworld. For more information, visit curseforge.com.

About Hasbro

Hasbro is a leading toy and game company whose mission is to entertain and connect generations of fans through the wonder of storytelling and exhilaration of play. Hasbro delivers play experiences for fans of all ages around the world, through toys, games, licensed consumer products, digital games and services, location-based entertainment, film, TV, and more. With a portfolio of over 1,800 iconic brands including MAGIC: THE GATHERING, DUNGEONS & DRAGONS, Hasbro Gaming, NERF, TRANSFORMERS, PLAY-DOH and PEPPA PIG, as well as premier partner brands, Hasbro brings fans together wherever they are, from tabletop to screen.

Hasbro is guided by our Purpose to create joy and community for all people around the world, one game, one toy, one story at a time. For more than a decade, Hasbro has been consistently recognized for its corporate citizenship, including being named one of the 100 Best Corporate Citizens by 3BL Media, one of the World’s Most Ethical Companies by Ethisphere Institute and one of the 50 Most Community-Minded Companies in the U.S. by the Civic 50. For more information, visit https://corporate.hasbro.com or @Hasbro on LinkedIn.

ABOUT STUDIO WILDCARD

Since revealing its flagship game ARK: Survival Evolved in 2015, Studio Wildcard has tirelessly strived to bring its dinosaur-filled vision to the masses. With millions of players worldwide, the team has delivered an amazing amount of new content and leveraged cutting-edge technology to keep fans engaged. With a transmedia universe, the ARK story can be discovered on all gaming platforms, within spin-off titles, and now as a new epic narrative featuring a star-studded cast in ARK: The Animated Series on Paramount+. www.studiowildcard.com

Nintendo Switch will be launching in early July

17 June 2024, Warsaw, Poland | Untold Tales and Kautki Cave have released Flame Keeper on Steam, Epic and GOG. The game launches with a -30% discount.

Flame Keeper is a dynamic action rogue-lite where your life is your currency. As a special little piece of burning coal named Ignis, you need to restore the fire to the Eternal Flame. But in doing so, you drain your own life. Find the perfect balance between progress and staying alive as you battle through a world of darkness and monsters. Learn from your mistakes as you die trying and adapt your tactics, skills and abilities to progress.

Steam page: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1374230/

ABOUT THE GAME

FIGHT LIKE YOU MEAN IT – Take on hordes of enemies using a multitude of moves and attacks including punch combos, fiery dashes, wide area-of-effect stomps, and powerful finishers that deal decisive damage. Each biome in Flame Keeper is inhabited by unique foes and obstacles of increasing difficulty that you’ll need to learn to beat.

YOUR IGNIS, YOUR PLAY STYLE – In order to progress you’ll also need to upgrade little coal via skills and passive abilities. Mix and match skills in the same run to create tons of different builds.

HERE’S TO YOUR HEALTH – In order to restore the Eternal Flame, you must scour each environment for what remains of its energy and transfer it back into each stage’s Fire Camp. Find the right balance of keeping yourself alive and fighting while still progressing.

RECHARGE IN VULPIS VILLAGE – At the start of each level lies Vulpis Village. Here you can rest, enhance abilities, rebuild and upgrade structures thanks to resources you collect.

The “Juicy Variety Update” comes loaded with new content, new enemies, loot modifiers, and more!

San Diego, CA – June 17, 2024 – The Juicy Variety Update comes packed full of new content in a free major update to Alien Hominid Invasion on consoles!

Indie developer and self-publisher The Behemoth is releasing its second update to their fifth title, Alien Hominid Invasion, on Xbox and Nintendo Switch consoles today, June 17, 2024 at 10AM PDT! With the release of “Update Part 2: The Juicy Variety Update”, aliens can divebomb back into the run ‘n’ gun action with a variety of new and updated hazards, enemies, areas, and loot modifiers to the game, along with a brand-new mutation!

After releasing on November 1st, 2023, Alien Hominid Invasion received the first part of this two-part update in early December, adding 23 new achievements, seasonal head unlocks, and an improved map algorithm. The Behemoth is ever grateful to players for sending in feedback and looks forward to the community experiencing some of their requested changes being worked into the game.

“In this update, we’ve made the most changes to the game since its release with new content that synergizes with things previously implemented in an effort to create more variety on a level-to-level basis,” shared Dan Paladin, Art Director and co-founder of The Behemoth. “A new mini-boss that can be defeated then driven as a vehicle and entirely new level layouts should help do the trick, but as always, we’ll be keeping an eye out for feedback and analyzing the changes ourselves to see if there’s anything else we can get done for the most bang for our buck!”

View the developer stream recap highlighting some of these key features here:

This ‘juicy’ second update packs more variety into the game by introducing new content and mechanics, including three beautiful level areas, dangerous hazards (crafty aliens can use some to their advantage!), game-changing loot modifiers (dodge roll while dropping a bomb!), lower intel requirements (spend less time pushing papers!), a brand-new alien mutation, and the ever-anticipated, all powerful mini-boss that you can pilot after defeating: the MECHA F.R.O.G.! (Giant Killer Metal Amphibian food not included, operate at your own risk.)

Key Update Features

• New mutation (class): The Orbiter
• New hazards (level modifiers) including the all new Grind Lines, for when you feel like skating a half-pipe while invading Earth
• An all-new, formidable [frog] foe that turns into a vehicle upon defeat: The MECHA F.R.O.G.
• Three new hand-drawn level areas and background art
• More powerful loot modifiers and brand new ones as well, such as the ability to drop bombs when you roll or dive
• A Behemoth amount of balances, adjustments, and fixes, like a revamp of the C.H.O.M.P.E.R. checkpoint levels (hunt for Keybots on the go!) and the highly requested increase to danger level; you can now stay twice as long in a single level before being overwhelmed, but look out for similar scaling with enemies and projectiles!
• The Ice Cream Man is here! (no additional context needed)

About Alien Hominid Invasion

Alien Hominid Invasion is a co-op run ‘n’ gun packed with chaos, mayhem, and a whole lot of explosions. Old friends and bitter enemies await as you invade Earth alongside a Mothership full of alien friends! Blast, beam, and bite your way through an endless swarm of enemies as you and up to three of your fellow hominids cause mayhem with a huge arsenal of weapons, mutations, and acrobatic maneuvers.

About The Behemoth

Founded in 2003, The Behemoth is an indie game developer and publisher that pioneered the flash-to-console scene with Alien Hominid in 2002. For two decades, the studio has continued to create memorable hand-drawn gaming experiences like Castle Crashers, BattleBlock Theater, and Pit People, with a deep love for co-op (and co-optional!) titles. Self-publishing their games across a variety of platforms, The Behemoth has remained true to their indie roots with a small team that doesn’t rush the development process, maintaining a healthy love for their game creations.

Lofty Sky’s story-driven sci-fi adventure offers a new take on the genre with balance at its core. Players who achieve balance and unlock true ending will see an exclusive animated series unlocked in the game

Limassol, Cyprus – June 17th, 2024. Indie publisher ESDigital Games and Toronto-based film and game production studio Lofty Sky Entertainment, just returned from participating in the Summer Game Fest where the latter’s new game Sky of Tides, was well received by press and creators at the Guerilla Collective + The MIX event and SGF Play Days. The game is slated for release this year on PC via Steam and the Epic Game Store, PlayStation 4 & 5, Xbox One and X/S consoles and the Nintendo Switch.

Sky of Tides is a story-driven sci-fi adventure with RPG elements set in a technologically advanced universe on the brink of war. Set on Numen9, the game explores the aftermath of a great calamity that fractured the planet, floated the oceans into the sky, and split the land into nine separate planetoids. Players follow Rin, who must search for her missing father following his disappearance under mysterious circumstances and heal the broken planet of Numen9. Along her journey, Rin encounters a diverse cast of characters that present choices that will shape both Rin and Numen9’s future.

Watch the previously released Announcement trailer

32 Endings, But Balance Rules the Day

Sky of Tides has been compared to other recent, popular narrative RPG adventures but with a key difference. Although the game has 32 endings, balance (not min-max) leads to the true ending. Outcomes in the game are tied to the player’s ability to reach thresholds in each of the five character stat categories — compassion, intelligence, courage, luck, and humor. 

“This is a broken, divided world that’s totally out of balance,” explained creative director Judith Cheung. “Rather than just using what’s been done before, we felt the mechanic should come naturally from the character’s motivations in the story. Players have agency to pursue any path they desire, but Numen9 is a world in need of balance, and the game rewards that.”

Achieving balance unlocks the game’s true ending and leads to a special reward: During the initial release and for a limited time, players who attain the true ending will unlock the entire five-episode exclusive animated series set in the same world, right inside the game. 

A True Transmedia Experience

In what may be an industry first, Sky of Tides will feature an original animated series that will be available exclusively for a limited time and at no extra charge to players who beat the game. The five-episode Sky of Tides: Atla, which explores the Sky of Tides world Numen9 from the perspective of another protagonist, Atla Gildeon, will unlock inside the game for players who are able to complete the title’s stated goal of obtaining balance. The series will also be included in special retail box sets of the game being sold by ESDigital Games. More platforms where the series can be watched will be announced at a later date. 

An Inclusive Game Featuring Female Creatives

Sky of Tides is an accessible game that features core adventure mechanics and RPG elements yet relies on an extremely rich and innovative story. Designed to appeal to a broad audience, the narrative particularly resonates with some of the female development leads who have created a game they would have enjoyed playing in their youth, and a female protagonist to whom they see their young daughters relate. Senior game designer Lan Roed and creative director Judith Cheung both grew up in a time where games were dominated by males. Now, with females accounting for half of the gaming population, they believe the world is becoming more inclusive and that games should reflect that change.

“Lofty Sky as a studio is majority owned by a BIPOC woman. The studio encourages a creative environment that tries things that go beyond the traditional male gaming demographic, even though this game can be enjoyed by all genders. In our playtesting feedback, a lot of guys enjoyed Sky of Tides and its storylines too,” said Cheung. “Making the lead protagonists young females in both the game and TV series was a natural decision, and it was important to me when creating character models to ensure women weren’t sexualized. I feel a great source of pride in making something I can enjoy with my girls knowing they are represented in the IP because I didn’t have that growing up.”

Key Features:

• A unique and in-depth world design where the oceans are floating in the sky.
• Player choices help shape Rin’s character and fate.
• 32 distinct endings based on the player’s character stats.
• An approach to RPGs that is different from traditional min-maxing. The dev team believes this kind of anti-RPG approach will appeal to players looking for a different type of experience and those who appreciate when developers innovate with mechanics to align with the story..
• More streamlined than a traditional RPG and more interactive than most visual novels.
• Transmedia IP, which has both a game and animated TV series in the same world is unique for an indie studio.
• If players beat the game by maintaining a balance of stats, they’ll unlock the TV series “Atla” for free.

A GDC 2023 Pitch Winner and nominated for GDC 2024 “Best in Play”, Sky of Tides will be launching for PC via Steam and the Epic Game Store, PlayStation 4 & 5, Xbox One and X/S consoles and the Nintendo Switch this year. Wishlist or download the free demo on Steam. 

About Lofty Sky Entertainment Inc.

Lofty Sky Entertainment is an independent media company that creates engaging stories and experiences across different digital mediums from games, film and TV, and virtual reality. Established in 2017, the Toronto based team has garnered significant critical acclaim, including the 2018 Canadian Screen Award-nominated narrative game Shuyan Saga and the feature film Eternal Spring, which became the first animated film selected as Canada’s official submission to the 2023 Oscars for best international feature. The game team consists of developers, game designers, and artists who work on multiple original IPs at the studio.

About ESDigital Games

ESDigital Games is a global video games publishing company specializing in premium indie and mid-core games for both PC as well as consoles. ESDigital Games portfolio includes the 80s-themed point-and-click adventure Unusual Findings and the Early Access releases of roguelike action RPG Scholar of the Arcane Arts, the twin-stick shooter REMEDIUM, RTS tower defense and match-3 mechanics title Cats on Duty and the complex alchemy RPG Battlejuice Alchemist. Other exciting titles in development include the side-scrolling Metroidvania inspired Awaken – Astral Blade, the story-driven sci-fi adventure Sky of Tides, the sci-fi stealth action game Steel Seed and the awe-inspiring action-adventure title Island of Winds as well as new unannounced titles in development. ESDigital Games has offices in London and Limassol, Cyprus.

The developers first title is codenamed Project Wraith, an original FPS for PC and consoles.  

June 17th 2024 – Team17 Digital has today announced that they’re working with UK based Grassrootz Studio. This partnership will see Team17 Digital publish Project Wraith, an original FPS IP focused on fast-paced infantry-combat and authentic weapon mechanics. This team-up is one that strongly adheres to both companies’ ethos of offering developers an unrestricted means of creating games that above all, are one’s players truly enjoy diving into. 

Ann Hurley, General Manager, Team17 Digital, said: “Project Wraith perfectly aligns with Team17 Digital’s mission to deliver engaging gaming experiences worldwide. The dedicated team in the UK is infusing passion and creativity into their debut title. FPS enthusiasts, get ready to immerse yourself in the magic they’re creating.”  

Dominik Seifert, Game Director, Grassrootz Studio, said: “Teaming up with Team 17 on this Project was a no-brainer for us. Having a publisher with such a good track record of passion and care for the FPS genre has been a blessing. We needed a partner that understands what we are trying to do, and I’m glad to say we found it. It’s been a while since we’ve played an FPS shooter, set in the modern combat landscape that felt just right, and that’s what we aim to offer with Project Wraith.”  

Project Wraith is currently available to check out and wishlist on Steam.

###  

About Grassrootz Studio

Grassrootz Studio is a London based indie developer, with their first title Project Wraith being funded by Kickstarter and the Epic MegaGrant award. The studio is comprised of a small team of passionate hobbyists seeking to make games that put the players experience first. 

About Team17 Digital

Founded in 1990, Team17 Digital is a leading developer, video games label, and creative partner for developers around the world. Part of Team17 Group plc, which floated on AIM in 2018, Team17 Digital has an extensive portfolio comprised of over 140 titles, and fully encapsulates the spirit of independent games. Team17 Digital’s portfolio of multi-award-winning and award-nominated in-house brands include Hell Let Loose, Golf With Your Friends, The Escapists, and the iconic Worms franchise, alongside its games label partner titles, including the award-winning games Blasphemous, Greak: Memories of Azur, and Overcooked! franchise. Visit www.team17.com for more information.  

Today, video game remaster developer Nightdive Studios launched “Deep Dive,” a new bi-weekly podcast series that takes fans behind the scenes of the renowned team to learn more about its library of acclaimed retro titles. 

Following the announcement of The Thing: Remastered earlier this month, the first episode of Deep Dive burrows into the minds of the remastered cult classic horror game’s development team and Mark Atkinson, one of the original directors and programmers of Computer Artworks’ 2002 The Thing. 

Assimilate some insightful information about the development of The Thing by watching Deep Dive Episode 1, and check out the brand new batch of screenshots for The Thing: Remastered in the press kit.

Watch Deep Dive Episode 1 Here:

Nightdive Studios’ Deep Dive podcast is hosted by Dimitris “Modern Vintage Gamer” Giannakis with co-hosts Morgan Shaver (Nightdive’s Comms Manager) and Locke Vincent (Nightdive’s Video Producer). New episodes will be released every other Monday on YouTube, offering fans a closer look at what the Nightdive team is working on via developer interviews and by showcasing behind-the-scenes content. Episodes will also feature Nightdive community giveaways and shout-outs, including fan art spotlights, favorite comments, and more. 

About The Thing: Remastered

The Thing: Remastered is a faithful restoration of the cult-classic 2002 third-person survival horror shooter game inspired by Universal Pictures’ genre-defining 1982 film, The Thing. Nightdive Studios has upgraded this horrifying classic for the modern era through its proprietary KEX Engine for play on current-generation gaming devices up to a 4K resolution at 120FPS. Improvements to character models, textures, and animations have been hand-crafted by Nightdive Studios, with the implementation of advanced 3D rendering for updated lighting and atmospheric effects — for a suspenseful and disgustingly detailed remaster that reanimates the thrilling game for modern audiences. 

In the frozen arctic tundra, a mysterious shape-shifting alien has wiped out the crew of the U.S. Outpost #31 research facility. In The Thing: Remastered, players step into the boots of Captain J.F. Blake, the leader of a United States Army Special Forces rescue team sent to investigate the blood-curdling events that transpired in the original The Thing film. Trapped by the elements and at risk of infection by a horrific entity, Blake must keep his squad together to survive by gaining their trust and ensuring that their fear and paranoia don’t get the best of them … or himself. 

The Thing: Remastered Key Features: 

• Return to U.S. Outpost #31: Continue the story of The Thing and face off against terrifying monsters, from scuttling head-spiders and human-like walkers to gigantic multi-tentacled level bosses 
• Who Goes There?: Command a squad of up to four NPCs from Soldier, Medic, and Engineer character classes through the game’s 11 frightening levels 
• The Warmest Place to Hide: Someone in your squad may not be who they appear to be. The shape-shifting alien hides inside an imitation, so keep a watchful eye 
• Don’t Lose It: Gain the trust of your squad members and minimize their fear levels lest they become defiant or, worse, succumb to paranoia 
• Ultimate Alien Terror: Upgraded models, textures, and animations hand-crafted by Nightdive, plus enhanced lighting and atmospheric effects 
• Stunning Visuals: Up to 4K 120FPS visuals on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S 
• Checkmate: Trophies and Achievements on Windows PC via Steam, PlayStation, and Xbox consoles

The Thing: Remastered will be released later this year digitally on Windows PC via Steam and GOG, PlayStation® 4|5, Xbox One and Series X|S, and Nintendo Switch.